The present disclosure is related to a collapsible structure or reel for supporting and/or storing of flexible media such as wire, cable, and the like, although the reel may be used in association with other similar applications. Reels of this type are used to support wound flexible media such as rope, wire, electrical cable, tubing, chain, strings of parts, and the like. A core of the reel serves as a central support surface around which the flexible media is wound, and sidewalls or flanges are disposed at opposite ends of the core. Conventional reels are formed of wood or a composite of wood and metal.
Although these wood/metal reel structures are able to adequately store and dispense flexible media, such reels are generally expensive to manufacture and cannot be shipped to the end customer in a reduced dimension. Likewise, once the reel is empty the reel is typically disposed of or must be returned for re-use. Shipping and transportation costs become an issue because the cable reel takes up a considerable amount of space. Thus, the reel described in the commonly owned international application noted above provides a commercially viable alternative by way of a collapsible reel made from a single media such as a corrugated material, particularly a plastic or paperboard corrugated material.
The collapsible reel is simple in design, inexpensive to manufacture, and easily converted by the end user from a collapsed state or position to a deployed or use state/position. This has led to a need to add further strength to the reel structure while still maintaining the ability to transport the assembly in a first, collapsed condition and easily assemble the reel to the second, deployed position. Merely increasing the thickness of each wall portion that forms the core and sidewalls or flanges is not a viable alternative.
It is also desirable to provide for increased strength and rigidity of the reel structure while minimizing the amount of adhesive or glue, and precisely locating the application of adhesive to enhance the strength and ability to easily open/close between collapsed and deployed positions.
Accordingly, a need exists for a lightweight collapsible reel that has a high strength-to-weight ratio with low manufacturing costs, and that adds additional strength and rigidity to prior arrangements while maintaining ease of assembling the reel and can be effectively recycled.